Jack's Weakness
by kazoquel4
Summary: Pitch Black has a plan. He's sick of the Guardians- especially Jack Frost, and only wants to destroy him. But Jack doesn't have any weaknesses... or does he? With the help of a clock that can turn back time, Pitch travels to Burgess- 1712. Will Jack's mortal family be his downfall? And how will they handle the reappearance of their dead son and brother?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

The constant tick of the clocks was enough to drive anyone crazy. Pitch sneered at them, walking quickly through the long hallway. Two Fearlings cantered along next to him, an honor guard for the Boogeyman.

Clocks lined every inch of the wide, sweeping walls. Clocks of all sizes; small wristwatches stood on pedestals, and large, magnificent grandfather clocks were set up in the corners. Hundreds upon hundreds of clocks- and every single one of them was ticking.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

Pitch Black tuned them out, forcing himself not to lash out at the rows of clocks. Just a few more feet; he had come this far, surely he could put up with it for a few more minutes.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

At the very end of the hall, a golden throne stood high up. It was carved with runes, languages long forgotten by the world. The carvings swirled around- quite literally _swirled. _They shifted around the throne, gleaming across the gold chair. Silky red padding cushioned the seat of the throne, a splash of color in the shining gold.

Standing just to the right of the golden throne was the largest clock in the room. With a height of at least seven feet, the clock was framed with silver and etched with the same runes that swirled around the throne. The large hands of the clock slowly moved around the face, letting out a ticking noise, but more enhanced then the other clocks- TICK. TICK. TICK.

Pitch ascended the steps to the throne and stepped over to the clock. The Fearlings swirling at his side vanished, disappearing into the folds of his robes. A smirk crossed Pitch's pale face as he gently laid his long white fingers on the glass of the clock.

Just a few words and his plan would finally be set into motion. His chance to finally destroy that infernal little winter spirit- the guardian of _fun. _The Guardians thought they were untouchable, especially with their new addition. They had already defeated Pitch once; why should they be worried? But pitch was about to show him just how powerful he could be, and not even Jack Frost would be able to stop him then.

Bracing his feet, he pressed his hand fully against the glass. Staring straight at the minute hand that had stopped in front of his face, he whispered a single silky word.

The runes swirling around the clock began to glow a light blue. The color threw a strange shadow across Pitch's face, and his smirk became more of a sneer. It had _worked. _Frost would be no match for him after he had control of his one weakness.

"Burgess," Pitch said firmly. "1712."

The runes stopped moving, frozen in mid-swirl. Their blue light became harsher, brighter, nearly blinding. Pitch was forced to avert his eyes, but he kept his hand firmly plastered to the clock, which had begun to quiver slightly.

There was a brilliant flash of light and, quite suddenly, Pitch Black was no longer there.

The runes stopped glowing and began to move again. The clock hands kept going, giving no hint as to what had just happened. The rest of the clocks continued to work, giving no sign that anything strange had happened at all.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

The door at the end of the hall creaked open. A man stepped inside, his head bowed. He wore a long blue cloak. Runes matched directly with the clock and throne danced on the fabric, making him look as though he were wearing water. A long white beard trailed down the front, but his eyes were shielded from view by a long, sweeping hood that drooped in front of his face. In his frail, weathered hands he held a long scythe; it's sharp, pointed edge gleaming in the faint light in the long hall.

He glided across the hall, looking like he was flying instead of walking. His head was kept firmly down, his eyes never making an appearance.

He mounted the steps, coming to a stop in front of the clock Pitch had disappeared into. His hands tightened around the scythe, and he stood there, staring at it for many minutes. He didn't move, nor speak; he simply watched.

Finally, he turned around and descended the steps without a word. Pitch was gone; there was nothing he could do at the moment about that. One thought swirled through his mind, however:

_I must warn the Guardians._

* * *

**A/N: Phew, glad to get that off my chest! This idea came to me last night as I was falling asleep, and I've kind of been obsessing with it all day. I'm so relieved to finally be able to get something for this story written down, even if it's just the prologue…**

**So, yeah, if any of you know me, this is my, what… seventh story currently in progress? Yeah… I write a lot… you may have read my other Rise of the Guardians story, Blistering Fever.**

**If you're a new reader, hi! I'm Kayla, and this is my second RotG fanfiction. So, if you have any comments, please leave a review! Did you like it? Hate it? Love it? Just… tell me if you want me to continue.**

**Can any of you guess who the old man is? If you do, you get a prize!**

**Well, not really. But if you do get it, I'll give you a virtual pat on the back!**

**Thanks for reading, and I'll try to update soon. Please, review! **

**Oh, and sorry for the sucky title. Couldn't think of anything, but whatever. **

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"-ice and snow all over my warren!" Bunnymund exclaimed, throwing his paws into the air.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Give it _up, _Kangaroo. It was just a bit of fun."

Bunny glared at the lounging winter spirit. "I'll show you a bit of _fun_, Frostbite-"

"Boys," Tooth interrupted, fluttering over. "Calm down, please. Can we have one meeting without you two arguing?"

Jack glanced over at her from where he was reclining on the ledge of the open window in North's office. His position made the other guardians nervous, but they all knew that he wouldn't fall out. Besides, even if he did, he could just fly back to safety.

"Bunny started it," he muttered, swinging his leg lazily. His staff dangled from his hand, brushing against the floor. A layer of frost had already spread from the point of contact.

"_Me_?!"

"Well, this is cozy meeting, is it not?" North asked cheerfully, interrupting the impending argument.

"About as cozy as it's going to get with these two," Tooth muttered.

"What does that mean?" Bunny asked defensively.

Sandy made large exclamation marks over his head with golden, shimmering sand. North nodded, catching sight of the Sandman.

"Sandy is right. We must do a status report."

Jack let out a long groan, banging his pale head against the window frame. "I _hate _status reports. Can we skip it, just this once?"

"No, Jack," the Russian said firmly. He cleared his throat, straightening up. "Everything goes well in the North Pole," he said. "Production is up .2%-"

"Wow," Jack muttered, tapping his staff against the wall. Frost crept up in painstakingly detailed designs.

"-and lights on the globe continue to pop up," North finished, ignoring Jack. "Tooth?"

Tooth fluttered up excitedly, beaming at her fellow guardians. Her rainbow colored feathers shimmered in the bright lights from overhead.

"Everything's just chipper at Tooth Palace!" she said happily. "Jordan Blake just lost his first tooth last night, it was amazing, I could show you if you-"

"No, that's alright," Bunny said quickly.

"Sandy?" North asked.

Sandy formed a big thumbs-up above his head, nodding.

"I'll just take my turn then," Bunny said, crossing his arms. "My warren is frozen."

Jack stifled a laugh. "It's just a bit cold is all."

Bunny looked outraged. "Just a bit cold? All my eggs are hiding from me- covered in frost, they are."

Tooth let out a small giggle. "Oh, lighten up, Bunny, I'm sure Jack didn't mean any harm."

A small figure suddenly darted into the room and threw itself at Jack. Surprised, the winter spirit tumbled backward, landing hard on the ground. "Baby Tooth," he laughed, leaning up on his elbows. The small fairy was hovering in front of his face, chattering excitedly and beaming at her best friend.

"Oh, yes, she wanted to say hi," Tooth said, smiling down at the pair.

"I wouldn't have guessed," Jack said, grinning up at the Tooth Fairy. His shaggy white hair flopped into his face, partly obscuring his shockingly blue eyes. His skin was so pale it was nearly white, and his mouth fell into an easy, happy smile, revealing the pearly teeth Tooth so adored.

Baby Tooth flew around Jack's head, squeaking at a speed too fast to follow. Her wings fluttered so quickly they were just a blur near her back.

"Alright, Baby Tooth- yes, yes, I missed you too," Jack chuckled.

"Crazy fairy," Bunny muttered.

Tooth raised an eyebrow at him, eyes narrowing. "Excuse me?"

"Er- I mean- what a wonderful fairy," Bunny quickly corrected.

Tooth relaxed. "Nice cover," she said, smiling slightly.

"Hold on, we have not yet finished status reports!" North said loudly. "Jack, how is everything with you?"

"Huh?" Jack asked, blinking up at him. Baby Tooth had settled herself down on his shoulder, wings still fluttering slowly even as she sat. "Oh, right. Everything's great with me. Cold. Snowy. You know, the usual."

North nodded importantly. "Good, good. Well, it appears that everything is in order-"

The door burst open. Everyone jumped; Jack lunged for his staff, which was lying a few feet away, causing Baby Tooth to topple off his shoulder; Bunny grabbed his boomerangs, his ears perking up; North pulled out his swords, holding them in a defensive position; Tooth poised herself, ready for battle.

Phil's eyes widened in surprise. The yeti stood just in the doorway, staring straight at a group of deadly weapon-wielding Guardians.

North immediately relaxed. "Phil!" he exclaimed. "Do not scare us like that. We thought you were attacker."

"Sorry, Baby Tooth," Jack said, bending down and scooping the fallen fairy up. "You alright?"

Baby Tooth blinked, shaking her head. She gave Jack a smile, nodding. Jack gave her a sheepish grin, relieved his little friend was alright.

Phil waved his paws in the air. Jack looked at him, and realized for the first time the panicked look on the yeti's face.

"Phil?" he asked, gripping his staff. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Phil froze. His paws stopped in mid-wave, and his mouth was halfway open, ready to speak. It was as though someone had stopped time.

The Guardians glanced at each other. Baby Tooth fluttered nervously. Jack felt his heart thumping, staring wide-eyed at Phil.

"Phil?" he asked, feeling panic starting to rise in him. "Phil? What's wrong with him?"

"Jack, calm down," North said, sheathing his swords.

"Calm down?" Jack asked incredulously, bounding forward to stand in front of Phil. He poked the yeti, nearly losing his finger in the thick fur. Phil stayed motionless. "It's like someone-"

"Stopped time," said a voice behind them.

The Guardians spun around. Standing behind them was a figure wrapped in dark blue robes. Weaved into the fabric were runes. Squinting, Jack realized that they were actually floating around- moving around the robe.

North let out a booming laugh. "Father Time!" he said in his thick Russian accent. "What a pleasant surprise! I have not seen you in years!"

Father Time slowly nodded, not looking up at North. "I'm afraid your yeti caught sight of me entering the workshop," he said in a quiet, calm voice. "My appearance might have alarmed him." He raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Phil unfroze and started gargling in Yetish, eyes wide.

"Yes, Phil, yes," North said over the Yeti's speech. "We know. Thank you; will you please return to the workshop?"

Not stopping his flow of confused speech, Phil turned around and walked away. The door swung shut behind him, sealing the group of Guardians in North's office.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack said, staring at the old man. "You're Father Time? Like, _the _Father Time? Who controls… time?"

Father Time inclined his head. "The very one," he said softly. "North, Bunnymund, Toothiana, Sandy… it is wonderful to see you again.

"Father Time," Tooth said graciously, smiling at him. Bunny nodded, and Sandy smiled.

Father Time slowly turned toward Jack. "Jack Frost," he said quietly, tilting his head back. Jack felt his breath catch in his throat as he caught sight of his eyes. For, where his eyes should be, were not eyes- they were bright orbs of light, shining in their sockets.

"I've heard much about you, Jack Frost," Father Time said, nodding. "The spirit of winter, and newly appointed Guardian. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you, after all these years."

"No," Jack said cautiously, holding his staff firmly in his hand. "You haven't."

"Father Time," Tooth said, fluttering up. "While it's lovely to see you again, I-"

"You wonder why I am here," Father Time finished for her. "An expected question, my dear Toothiana. I'm afraid that this is not merely a social call, however." He swept his hand out, gesturing around the room. "Why don't you all have a seat?"

North dropped into his big armchair, while Bunny took a seat in the spare chair. Sandy formed a seat out of his dream sand, and Tooth, who rarely sat, contented herself by hovering in between Bunny and North. Jack sat back down on his window ledge, Baby Tooth back on his shoulder again.

When they were all seated, Father Time began to speak again. His voice was soft, quiet, and controlled. "The matter of business I have to discuss with you concerns none other than Pitch Black," he stated calmly, as though he were simply commenting on the weather.

There was an immediate response from the gathered Guardians.

"Pitch?" Jack exclaimed, staring around at the other Guardians in disbelief. "I thought he was gone?"

"We whooped his butt good three months ago," Bunny protested, "there's no way he could reform so soon."

"What has he done, Father Time?" Tooth asked in a hushed voice. Everyone quieted in order to hear the old man's answer.

"Not an hour ago, he broke into my throne room," he said, "and used a very powerful machine to transport himself into the past."

"The past?" Jack asked, frowning. "Why would he need to go into the past?"

Father Time turned his disconcerting orbs on Jack. The winter spirit felt his shoulders tense slightly, but he refused to break Father Time's gaze. "He journeyed back to the year 1712," he said softly, "to visit a family by the name of Overland."

Sandy's eyes widened and darted over to Jack. The rest of the Guardians simply stared back at Father Time, having no reactiong to the name, and Jack merely raised his eyebrows.

"Overland," he said blankly. "Never heard of them."

Father Time waved his hand, and a swirling white oval appeared just behind him. "Richard and Margaret Overland lived in Burgess 300 years ago with their daughter, Emma Louise Overland."

An image of a young girl appeared on the screen behind her. She appeared to be about twelve years old, with long brown hair and big brown eyes that stared back at them, large and innocent.

Jack's breath hitched. He sat up straight as though electrocuted, staring at the screen. "That's…. that's…" he said in a hoarse voice, unable to voice what was eliciting such a big reaction from him.

"What is it, Jack?" Tooth asked, frowning at him in concern. The teen looked even paler than he usually was- and Tooth hadn't even thought that was possible.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, mate," Bunny said, eyeing the winter spirit with poorly concealed worry.

Sandy watched Jack solemnly, unable to explain to the other guardians just what was distressing their youngest guardian.

"The Overland's also had another child," Father Time continued. "A boy. He died young- drowned in a frozen lake. His name was Jack. Jack Overland."

Another wave of his hand, and the image of the girl was replaced with a boy. He looked very similar to her; brown hair flopped into his warm brown eyes. A sarcastic grin was plastered onto his face, and he beamed at the other guardians, frozen in time.

It was practically an exact replica of Jack Frost.

The Guardians gasped in realization, their eyes darting between Jack and the boy.

"I…" Tooth tried to say.

"It's me," Jack said flatly. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, staring at the image of his mortal self. "It's me, before I was Jack Frost."

"Hold up," Bunny said, jumping to his feet. "What did he mean, _drowned in a frozen lake?_ Drowned? Dead? Jack?"

Jack didn't take his eyes off the swirling picture. "How do you think I became the spirit of winter?" he asked. "I'm not exactly mortal, am I?" He hadn't explained to the other guardians just how he had become who he was now. They hadn't known he had literally died before the moon had chosen him and brought him back as Jack Frost.

"Jack," Tooth said, fluttering over to him. She gently laid a hand on his pale cheek, ignoring how his touch made her shiver with the chill. "I don't understand."

Jack jerked away, lightly hopping to his feet. "I died, okay?" he said roughly. "My sister and I were ice skating, and we got onto a thin patch of ice. I threw her out of the way, but fell through. I drowned. Dead. Then… the moon brought me back as Jack Frost, and here I am. The spirit of winter, at your service," he finished bitterly.

There was a shocked silence. Tooth pressed her hands to her mouth, staring at Jack. "Oh, Jack," she whispered.

Bunny exchanged a disbelieving look with North. They had had no idea…

Tooth flew forward, throwing herself at Jack. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist on impulse, returning the hug.

"Hey, Tooth, it's alright," he said softly, regretting his blunt speech.

"You died!" Tooth wailed, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

"Ah, come on, Tooth, don't cry," Jack said, pulling back to look her in the eye. "I'm not dead now, am I? The moon saved me, and now I get to be here with you guys."

"That's why Manny chose you," North said quietly. "You saved your sister. You were Guardian long before you were Jack Frost."

"I wouldn't say that," Jack muttered sheepishly. Tooth released him from her hug, wiping her eyes quickly.

"Blimey, mate, I didn't… wow," Bunny said, shaking his head.

Jack turned to Father Time. By now, the swirling picture behind him had disappeared. "What," Jack said, straightening up, "is Pitch going to do with my family?"

"You're extraordinarily powerful, Jack Frost. You haven't even begun to discover your full potential," Father Time said wisely. "Pitch knows this as well. He also knows how difficult it is to defeat you- you really don't have many weaknesses. But you do have one thing."

"My family," Jack muttered.

"Indeed," Father Time agreed. "He will go after your parents and sister, and he will try to use them against you."

"How does he even know who they are?" Jack demanded, furrowing his dark eyebrows.

"Pitch is the Nightmare King, is he not?" Father Time asked. "He has access to all bad dreams. Jack… how many times have you dreamed of your death?"

Jack's hands clenched around his staff. "Not many times," he murmured.

Father Time nodded. "Just once was enough, however. Pitch has the ability to see your dreams, your nightmares, and with just a bit of digging, he was able to uncover who the girl you cared so much for was. And then all he had to do was break into my castle and use my grand clock to travel back to Burgess 300 years ago. He's going to find your family, Jack. And who knows what he'll do once he does?"

Jack was silent. He leaned on his staff, lost in thought. Baby Tooth fluttered cautiously over to him, gently settling herself on his shoulder and looking up at him.

"What do we do?" he asked finally.

Bunny was the one to answer. "Isn't it obvious, Frostbite?" he said gently. "We need to go back in time and save your family."

* * *

**A/N: Hehe. Really fast update time. I'm excited for this story, alright? Gosh, don't judge!**

**Just kidding… thanks for the reviews last chapter! I'm glad you guys liked this idea. If you read this chapter, please leave me a review and tell me what you think… yeah… alright…**

**I was watching Rise of the Guardians as I wrote this chapter, mwahaha. I love that movie so much, and Jack is so cuuuute…**

**Well, that's enough of that. Thanks for reading, and I'll update soon!**

**Xoxo, **

**Kayla**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The Guardians followed Father Time into the castle. Baby Tooth fluttered next to Jack nervously, peering around nervously; Jack, on the other hand, was staring at everything with wonder and curiosity.

The gigantic golden doors swung shut behind them with an ominous _boom. _Father Time strode ahead of them, lithe and fast despite his old age. The rest of the Guardians, who had already been to Father Times' castle before, continued on, unperturbed by the mass of clocks on either side of them.

Jack, however, was fascinated by the amount of clocks in the room. His eyes traveled all over the place, taking in every detail and committing it to memory.

There was a sudden chime from higher up on the wall. A small door on a clock opened, letting out a small, chattering blue figure. Frowning, Baby Tooth flew up until she was in front of the clock, squeaking at Jack.

Clutching his staff, Jack manipulated the winds inside the room to carry him up to the clock. Squinting, he realized that instead of a cuckoo bird, a small baby tooth fairy sprung from the clock. It was marvelously crafted, and looked almost exactly like the real thing. Its wings even flapped, giving the appearance that it was flying.

"Whoa," Jack muttered, poking it.

"Jack!"

Startled, Jack turned around and looked at the ground. The Guardians were all waiting by the end of the hall, staring at him.

Jack sheepishly floated over to them, dropping to the ground. North, Tooth, and Sandy were smiling, but Bunny just rolled his eyes.

"Havin' fun, Popsicle?" he asked irritably.

"Loads, Kangaroo," Jack answered leisurely, twirling his staff.

Baby Tooth joined them again just as Father Time began speaking.

"This is my throne," he said, making his way up the steps. Just in front of them was a large golden throne decorated with the same moving runes as Father Times' robes.

Frowning, Jack drifted over there, bending down to peer intently at the runes. "What do these say?"

Father Time watched him closely. "It is an ancient language, Jack Frost," he said. "Only one person has the power to read them fluently."

Jack glanced up. "I'm guessing that's you," he said.

Father Time nodded. "Unfortunately, others have the ability to read scraps of the language," he said solemnly. "Example one is Pitch Black. Luckily he can't go far in this language, just a few words he had picked up over the decades. If he could read it all… well, he'd be much more of a threat than he is now."

On that happy note, Father Time stepped over to a huge clock just next to the throne.

"And this is my grand clock," he said, standing in front of it.

Jack examined it. "So, it's a time travel clock?" he asked.

"It is much more than that, Jack Frost," Father Time said. "This clock, or _Festyng, _as it is called in the ancient language, has the power to send people to different points in the past and future and even manipulate and bend time. It is the machine Pitch used to travel back to the 1700's, and it is with this device that you will follow his footsteps and save Jack's family."

Bunny was silent for a moment, frowning. "What I don't get," he said, "is why you're letting us do this. Wouldn't this like, throw off the future or something? You control the time stream- messin' with the past could affect the future."

Jack shot a glare at him; he wanted to see his family. Father Time, however, inclined his head in Bunny's direction.

"An expected concern," he said. "It is, indeed, my job to make sure things happen accordingly. No one is supposed to 'mess' with the time stream, as you say. But I'm afraid the Overlands die without much effect on the future."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked defensively.

Father Time heaved a sigh. "I'm afraid that your family did not live very many years after you died, Jack," he said. "It was the 1700's; living past the age of twenty was an admirable accomplishment in those times. Your sister died five years after your death at the age of fourteen. She drowned, as well, as a matter of fact, when she slipped into a rushing river. Your parents went only months after that, taken by illness. They didn't have much will to live after the death of both their children. So, you see, going back and manipulating the Overland's will not have an effect on the time stream, as they did little to affect anything in the future."

Jack felt his heart stop. Eyes widening, he shook his head, backing away from the others.

"Jack," Tooth said sympathetically, stepping towards the shocked winter spirit.

"No," Jack said, taking another step back. "No, no, no. That can't be true. Five years after my death? You… you're lying."

"Frostbite," Bunny said, eyes full of pity for the teen.

"I gave my _life _to save my sister's!" Jack said forcefully. "And you're telling me she didn't even live past fourteen?"

"As I said, living long in the 1700's was-"

"I don't care!" Jack interrupted Father Time. "I don't care, I don't care. Why did she have to die?"

"Jack, please, everyone has to die at one point," Tooth pleaded. "There's nothing we can do to stop that."

"You're Guardians," Jack snarled. "Why didn't you guard her? You let her die!"

"Jack, there was nothing we could do," North said solemnly. "It was a freak accident; we cannot prevent those, nor illnesses."

Shaking his head, Jack slammed his staff down. The Guardians averted their eyes as a flash of white light and snow burst from the tip. He was shaking, his hands pale and quivering. His bottom lip trembled. After seeing his memories, he had simply assumed that his sister had survived and lived a happy, long life. Never would he have imagined she would die just five years after he himself did. And his parents? Only a few months after her. This couldn't be true, Emma Overland hadn't drowned, she had grown up and had kids and lived her life- she just had to have.

"Jack," Tooth said, lightly touching Jacks' shoulder. The white-haired teen caught her gaze; his frosty blue eyes were full of pain and fear.

"Tooth," he said in a choked voice, "they- they-"

"I know, Jack," Tooth whispered, fluttering forward and wrapping him in a tight hug. Jack laid his head on her shoulder, shaking slightly. The rest of the Guardians and Father Time were quiet, watching the exchange silently and with sympathy.

Finally, Jack pulled away. "Thanks," he muttered. "I was just- surprised is all."

"I understand, Jack," Tooth said, smiling sadly at him.

Clearing his throat, Jack turned awkwardly back to the rest of the group. "Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly, running a hand through his messy white hair.

Sandy shook his head, and North said, "There is nothing to be sorry about, Jack. It is your family; it is understandable."

"Sorry, mate," Bunny said quietly.

Father Time spoke again. "I think it's time," he said. "Are you all ready to travel?"

Jack nodded confidently, getting over the initial shock of learning his family was dead. "Let's do this," he said, jutting his chin out stubbornly.

Tooth frowned slightly. "Jack, I don't think-"

"I'm fine," Jack said. "Come on, Pitch already has a head start. We need to get going if we're going to catch him." He grinned mischievously, back to his old self.

Bunny shook his head. It was remarkable, really, how fast the kid's emotions could change. But as the guardian of fun, it just wasn't possible for Jack to stay down for too long.

"Very well," Father Time said, making his way over to the clock. "If you will all lay your hands on the glass, I will transport you back to 1712."

"Hold up," Jack said as the other guardians placed their hands in the appropriate spot. "You mean you're not going with us? How will we get back?"

"Not to worry," Father Time said calmly. "I will know when it is the appropriate time to pull you out of the past. And you will know as well. A few reminders, though; remember, it is _imperative _that you don't run into any of your past selves. I would especially watch out for Jack, as he stayed very close to Burgess during the first few years after his death. Do not speak with anyone other than the Overlands, and do not in any other way alter the time stream. The effects could be drastic. Do I make myself understood?"

There was a muttering of agreement from the guardians. With a sigh, Jack leaned in and placed his hand on the clock as well, feeling the cool glass underneath his fingers and the rhythmic thumping of the cogs deep inside the machine. Baby Tooth darted into the pocket of his hoodie, taking cover.

When they were all ready, Father Time leaned over and whispered something quietly. Jack watched in awe as the runes swirling around the clock started glowing blue. Bunny seemed quite alarmed by this new plot twist, and he tapped his foot anxiously.

"Scared?" Jack muttered to him.

Bunny glared. "You wish."

"Burgess," Father Time said firmly. "1712."

The runes froze in place. Jack frowned as the glass underneath his fingers started growing warm. Alarm rising in him, he started to pry his fingers off, but a sudden flash of white light made him freeze in his tracks.

And then he was face down in a snowdrift.

He lay there for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Although he didn't quite understand _why _he was suddenly lying in a pile of snow, he was thankful for it. It made him feel a lot more confident and quite a bit safer than he had felt holding onto that stupid glowing clock thing. While he was all for adventures, that whole thing had kind of freaked him out.

There was a spluttering sound to his right. Lifting his head, he saw Bunny sitting up, spitting snow out of his mouth.

"Bloody winter spirit," he was muttering, brushing himself off. Jack noticed the Pooka was shivering slightly from the chill that suddenly filled the air.

Jack let out a laugh, climbing to his feet. He looked around, smiling. The wide, sweeping throne room had completely disappeared, leaving him in a place he knew very well. A frozen lake stood to one side, icy and cold. Snow blanketed the trees in the forest they had landed in, covering it completely. It was the same lake Jack had been just a few days earlier, just three hundred years in the past.

"It worked!" he informed the other guardians, who were all clambering to their feet.

"Oh, really, Frostbite?" Bunny asked sarcastically. "I never woulda guessed."

There was a small squeak, and Baby Tooth poked her head out of Jack's pocket. When she had ascertained that it was safe to come out, she fluttered into the air, looking around with wide eyes. She hovered very close to Jack as a source of safety, practically touching his ear.

"Well," Tooth said, hovering in the air, "step one is complete. Come back to the past. Now we just need to find the Overlands."

As one, the guardians all turned to Jack. The teen glanced up from where he was frosting a rock his past self had missed when he had frozen the forest.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Any ideas on where ya lived, Popsicle?" Bunny asked impatiently.

"Oh, right," Jack said, frowning slightly. He shut his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows. "I… I think so," he muttered. "It's kind of fuzzy, but-"

His eyes shot open, and he pointed off to the left. "Over there!" he said, letting the wind pick him up. Without waiting for the other guardians to respond, he took off, swooping through the snow-covered trees in the direction he was drawn to.

He flew fast, not sparing the time for any acrobatics. Now that he was here, he was eager to see his old house. He couldn't remember anything about his parents, and wanted nothing more than to at least see them. Chances are they wouldn't be able to see him, but he would be content with just looking at them for now.

"Hold _up, _Snowflake!" Bunny called, bounding after the teen.

Jack spun around, flying backwards. He smirked at the effort the guardian was putting into keeping up with him. "Aw, am I too hard to catch?" he asked tauntingly.

Bunny suddenly grinned. "I would turn around if I were you."

Jack frowned, glancing over his shoulder. He gasped as he came face to face with a wall that hadn't been there a few seconds ago. He struggled to stop himself, but the momentum carried him right into the hard wood.

He smacked his head on the side of the house, toppling out of the air and into a snowdrift right below. Disoriented, he laid there, blinking the stars out of his eyes.

"Ow," he mumbled dazedly, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the world from spinning.

"Jack!" Tooth called, quickening her pace. She stopped beside the boy, bending down worriedly and brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Are you alright?!"

Bunny was laughing, clutching his stomach. "That was golden!" he said. "Teaches you to mess with me, Frost!"

"Oh, shut up," Jack groaned, bringing a hand up to his throbbing head. He didn't try getting up just yet, feeling more comfortable in the snow. Beside, the world was still spinning too fast for him to stand. _Note to self, _he thought bitterly. _Refrain from flying head-on into a wall when flying as fast as you can._

Tooth spun on Bunny angrily. "Don't you go making fun of him, Bunnymund! He could have died!"

"He's immortal," Bunny pointed out. "And I seriously doubt a bonk to the head is going to do much to hurt him."

"I'm hurt!" Jack called out from the ground.

"Suck it up," Bunny countered.

North huffed up, panting. He put his hands on his knees, doubling over. "Phew!" he said heavily. "I have not run like that in years!" Suddenly noticing Jack lying half-covered by snow, he frowned. "What did I miss?"

"Jack fell down and bumped his crown," Bunny teased.

"He almost got a concussion!" Tooth exclaimed.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a very shocked woman poked her head out of the house Jack had just run into.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Jack. Running into a wall can't feel very good.**

**Thanks for the reviews last chapter! They mean a lot. Please take the time and leave one for this one as well, and let me know what you think of my writing so far. Good? Bad? **

**Thanks for reading, and I'll update soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The guardians all froze in place. The woman froze as well, staring at them with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She was dressed in a simple brown woolen dress with a white apron falling down the front of it. She looked out at the guardians, disbelief etched onto her face.

North cleared his throat. "Hello!" he said, beaming at her.

The woman opened her mouth, hesitated, then said, "You're… you're…" She blinked, shaking her head. "_Santa Claus?"_

"She can see you?" Jack asked, leaning up on his elbows. His heart hammered in his chest as he stared at the bewildered woman.

"It's the 1700's; _everyone _believed," Bunny said, rolling his eyes.

The woman turned to Bunny. "The Easter Bunny…" she said. Frowning at Tooth and Sandy, she said, "And you must be the tooth fairy and the Sandman…"

Her eyes flicked across all the guardians. Jack stopped breathing when her eyes fell on him. His hands clutched at the snow as he waited, looking up at her.

She skipped over him, seeing right through him as though he were a ghost.

Jack deflated, a great sense of sadness and disappointment washing over him. He hadn't honestly _expected _his mother to see him; barely anyone actually did. And he didn't even remember her. But to be so blatantly seen through by his own family hurt Jack, although he had grown accustomed to it over the past three hundred years. Letting out a deep sigh, he flopped back in the snow.

"Come and get me later," he mumbled just loud enough for the guardians to hear.

Tooth looked at Jack in concern, and the others frowned. Just then, a man's voice called out from the house.

"Margaret? Are you alright?"

A man poked his head out of the doorway next to the woman. He had brown hair similar to hers, but a few shades darker. His tanned skin and weary face indicated that he was outdoors a lot of the time. He looked out at his yard, and his expression mirrored the shocked look on his wife's face.

"You're… you're…" he said, stuttering.

Bunny rolled his eyes, stepping forward. "I'm guessin' we should just introduce ourselves," he said impatiently. "I don't wanna go through this again."

"Bunny," Tooth sighed. "Don't be rude." Smiling gently at the couple, she said, "May we come in, perhaps?"

The woman blinked, stepping away from the door and opening it up wider. The man stepped back, watching with raised eyebrows as Tooth, Sandy, and North trailed in. Bunny stopped at the door and grabbed Jack's wrist, yanking him to his feet. "Up ya go," he said, holding onto the teen as he wobbled unsteadily.

"I don't want to," he protested, still a bit dizzy. "They don't see me anyways. Besides, I'm more comfortable out here."

Bunny rolled his eyes again. "Suck it up, Snowflake," he said, shoving him into the house.

The inside of the cottage was small and warm. A fire flickered across the room, giving out a comforting warm heat and making Jack thoroughly uncomfortable. A scratched and scuffed wooden table stood off to one side, surrounded by four roughly-made chairs. A pair of reindeer antlers hung over the mantle, throwing strange shadows across the walls where the firelight flickered.

The couple shivered as they shut the door, feeling the odd chill in the air coming from Jack. They didn't comment on it, however, as they turned uneasy eyes on the four guardians, who were examining the house curiously. Jack stood separated from them, uncomfortably swinging his staff as he stared at his parents. Although he knew that's who this couple must be, their appearance didn't spark any memories in him. They could just as well have been strangers as his parents, but that was probably just the Moon's doing.

"Not exactly a five-star hotel," Bunny muttered, taking in the run-down wooden floors.

"Ah, the 1700's," North sighed wistfully. "Such simpler times."

Tooth clapped her hands. "We're getting off-topic!" she announced. "I think it's time we introduce ourselves." Turning to the couple, who were still staring in awe, she smiled. "You must be Margaret and Richard Overland," she said. "My name is Tooth. And these are my friends North, Bunny, Sandy, and Jack."

Jack shot her a glare when she introduced him. "Tooth," he hissed, "they can't see me!"

As if to prove his point, the Overlands frowned at the four guardians they could see. "There's only four of you," Margaret noted. "You introduced another name."

Tooth's smile turned sad. "No, there's five of us," she said gently. Pointing to the empty space where Jack stood, she went on, "You just have to believe he's there."

Still looking confused, the Overlands stared hard at the spot they pointed out. Eyebrows furrowed, Richard shook his head. "Nothing's there."

"Told you so," Jack muttered crossly, twirling his staff.

But then Margaret gasped. All of the color drained from her face as a lanky, pale teen swam slowly into her view. His image solidified slowly, revealing to her the fifth guardian- and her long-dead son.

"J-J-J-Jack?" she stammered, her breathing coming out in sharp gasps.

It was Jack's turn to be surprised. "You can- you can see me?" he asked, looking taken-aback. He stopped twirling his staff, letting it hang by his side.

Tears rising in her eyes, Margaret nodded. "Oh, Richard, Richard, it's Jack!" she wailed to her extremely confused husband. "It's Jack, it's my baby, he's right here!"

Richard squinted at the spot Margaret was wailing at. Very slowly, he too found the image of his son coming into view, and felt his heart stop.

"Jackson?" he asked hoarsely.

It was the last straw for Margaret. With a shuddering cry she leapt forward, throwing her arms around Jack and squeezing. "Oh, Jackson," she said, tears streaming down her face. "Jack, Jack, it's you…"

"Um… yeah…" Jack said, awkwardly patting the woman on the back. "Er… hi?"

Richard was staring at his wife and son with a slack jaw. He blinked a couple of times, looking completely lost. "But… but… he's… he's not…"

Margaret pulled back, giving her husband an overjoyed smile. "He's not dead!" she cried.

Jack pulled away from her, taking a few steps back. He clutched his staff close, watching the couple with cautious eyes. "You're my  
parents?" he asked, eyes flicking back and forth between them. Baby Tooth buzzed by his ear, watching his parents curiously.

Margaret's smile faded a little bit. "Yes," she said. "Don't… don't you remember us?"

Jack shook his head. "I'm- I'm sorry. No."

Margaret looked close to tears. "Why not?" Richard asked, watching his son closely.

"It's a long story," Bunny muttered.

"You look so different, Jack," Margaret murmured, fully taking in her son. "Your hair… and your eyes…"

"I think we need to explain," Tooth said, stepping in. "How long has it been since Jack died?"

Richard swallowed thickly. "Three years exactly," he said. "At least, we thought so…"

Tooth nodded grimly. "We're from the future," she said softly. "_Very _far into the future."

"The future?" Margaret asked. "But Jack… he looks just like he did before he-" she stopped abruptly, unable to say it.

Jack spoke again. "We're from three hundred years in the future," he said bluntly. He couldn't stand it when people beat around the bush.

Margaret pressed a hand to her heart. Stumbling over to a chair, she lowered herself into it, taking deep breaths. "I'm dreaming," she mumbled to herself, shaking her head.

Her husband came to her side, laying a hand on her shoulder. "No, honey, you're not dreaming," he said wearily. "Otherwise I wouldn't be experiencing this too." He turned to Jack, looking him over. "Then you're… a ghost?"

Jack's lips twitched despite the seriousness of the situation.

"No, but I'm totally dressing up as one for Halloween next year!" he said, perking up. "Hey North, if I wore a sheet over my head and flew around-"

"No," North said flatly.

"Oh, come on, I could totally-"

"No," Bunny interrupted, shaking his head.

Jack huffed, leaning against his staff with a frown. "You guys are no fun," he muttered.

"Jack, please be quiet," Tooth sighed. "I'm trying to explain why you're still alive to your parents."

"Why can't I explain?" Jack shot at her, leaning against his staff. "_I'm _the one it happened to."

Tooth fluttered awkwardly. "Um… maybe that's not the best idea."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, frowning at her.

"She means you suck at explaining things, Frostbite," Bunny broke in.

"I do not!" Jack defended immediately, glaring at the guardian. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember when you were trying to explain to the elves how to play hide and go seek?" Bunny asked, raising his eyebrows. "That was a train wreck."

"Well that wasn't my fault!" Jack said. "The elves aren't the sharpest, if you know what I'm saying."

"But they're cute," Tooth pointed out, smiling a bit.

"And stupid," Bunny added.

Sandy jumped up and down to get their attention. Forming a clock out of sand, he tapped his foot impatiently, raising his eyebrows.

"Sandy is right," North said, nodding at him. "We run out of time. Pitch could strike at any moment; we need to be prepared."

"Oh, that's right!" Jack said, remembering why they were there. "Where's Emma?" he asked his parents, who were watching with incredulous expressions.

"She's out," Margaret said hesitantly. "Down at the lake. She always goes there on the anniversary of… well, when you fell in."

Jack felt a heaviness settle on his heart, but hid it with a forced smile. "We didn't see her there," he said lightly.

"She's probably taking the long way home," Margaret said softly. "It winds around the entire town, so you wouldn't have seen her."

Jack nodded slightly. "When will she be back?"

Richard shrugged. "She stays down there for quite a while. We're not sure when she'll be back."

Jack nodded, walking over to the door. "I'll go get her," he said certainly, throwing open the door.

"Jack, she can't see you!" Tooth said. "Besides, we haven't yet explained to your parents what's going on!"

"I can still protect her even if she can't see me," Jack insisted. "Just… keep yourself entertained, alright? We'll explain when Emma gets back. I'd rather not have to repeat the story twice, you know? I'll be back in a few minutes."

He stepped outside. Before he could take off, Tooth shouted, "Jack, be careful! You can't run into your past self!"

"I won't!" Jack called over his shoulder as the wind swept him into the air.

Back in the cabin, the two Overlands stared wide-eyed at the guardians. Margaret was still pale and looked as though she were going to throw up.

North cleared his throat awkwardly. "So… nice weather we're having, huh?"

* * *

Emma Overland shuffled her feet gloomily, kicking up some freshly fallen snow. She felt a few stubborn tears perk in her eyes, and impatiently brushed them off. She had already cried herself out at the lake; the only reason she took the long way back to her house was so she could pull herself together before she faced her parents. They didn't understand why she always went back to the lake; it only served to upset her.

The truth was, even _she _didn't know why she returned year after year. That horrid lake dredged up old, painful memories she had struggled to repress. On normal days, she wouldn't go within one hundred feet of that place, but on the anniversary of the day her brother died, she couldn't stop herself from going. Emma felt… closer to him, somehow, even though he was already dead. Like maybe he wasn't really gone. It was stupid, she knew. He was dead, a fact she had accepted years ago. So going back to the scene of the death wasn't going to fix things. Still, there was a part of her that never fully accepted he was gone.

A sudden chill swept through the air. Her hair fluttered slightly, the wind prickling on the back of her neck. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself, drawing the brown wool cloak tighter around her shoulders. Frowning slightly, she glanced up at the pearly white sky. Snowflakes fluttered gently from the sky, dusting her clothes and coating her eyelashes.

Jack crouched in the trees, partially hidden by frozen branches. He knew his sister couldn't see him, but he couldn't help watching from the shadows.

She was older than she had been in his memories. Her hair was longer, down to her waist, and she was several inches taller. Her likelihood to her brother was shown in her twinkling eyes and lanky figure. Even the way she held herself was similar to the winter spirit, and her lips had a certain curl to them that indicated a love for mischief.

Jack had darted behind her, the winds carrying him swiftly. She had noticed the chill lingering behind him, and had looked around as the wind brushed past, but hadn't seen him.

It had been quite easy to find her. There were only two paths leading from the lake; the straightforward one leading directly to the cabin, and the long, sweeping one that looped around the small town of Burgess. Jack had flown right over the village to intercept his sister, who was a little more than halfway home, and it had been quite a sight to see. Accustomed to the paved streets, cars, and modern buildings, seeing his town in the 1700's again was actually pretty amusing.

Watching his sister now, Jack felt memories poking in the back of his mind. Besides the short memory of his death, other scenes were coming to his mind; he and his sister taking a walk through the woods, skipping rocks on the unfrozen lake, laughing together next to a burning fire. They had a bittersweet taste to them, but Jack was simply glad he was able to remember things even after three hundred years kept in the dark.

Leaping smoothly from the trees, Jack dropped down behind his sister. His staff dragged behind him, leaving a trail of frost on the ground behind him. He glanced around at the surrounding forest, keeping a close watch for Pitch.

Emma sensed someone walking behind her as soon as Jack touched down. Tensing her shoulders, she kept her gaze straight ahead. No one ever used this trail; it was mostly unknown. And who could have snuck up on her like that?

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, then spun around. Who she saw stopped her in her tracks.

"Who are you?!" she asked, blinking at the back of a white head. Whoever was following her was trailing a familiar looking wooden stick behind them, and appeared to be searching for someone behind them.

Jack, who had been looking over his shoulder for any signs of pursuers, jumped, spinning back around. He found himself staring straight at his sister, who obviously saw him.

"Me?" he asked, surprised.

Emma gasped, the sound coming out slightly strangled. As soon as the boy had turned around, she realized how much he looked like her brother. But that couldn't be; her brother was dead… wasn't he? No, it couldn't be…

"Jack?" she whispered, eyes wide in disbelief.

Jack grinned. "Hey, you can see me!" he said happily. "How you doing, Emma?"

Emma let out a small cry, stumbling backwards. Now that she looked closer, she realized it was indeed her brother; the coloring was just different. His hair had changed from his dark brown to a frosty white, and his eyes were the color of ice. Even his skin looked sapped of color, and much paler than it should be possible to be. But it was most definitely her deceased brother.

Emma shook her head, putting her hands over her ears and shaking her head. "No, no, no," she muttered to herself.

Jack frowned, stepping closer. "Emma?" he asked worriedly, eyebrows furrowed.

"No!" Emma cried, taking another step back. "You're _dead_!"

"Emma, calm down!" Jack said, all pretense of happiness gone as he took in his hysterical sister.

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she stared at him. Taking a deep breath, she spoke again. "J-Jack?"

Jack nodded, his lip twitching up into a half-smile. "Yeah, it's me."

Emma dropped her hands. She looked over every inch of the boy hungrily, taking in his every feature. Even if it was a dream, it had been three years since she had seen him so complete. The nightmares she had suffered from after his death had always shown his face oddly clouded. As hard as she tried, she could never see him clearly, his features distorted in her grief. Now, although he looked as though all the color had been drained from him, she could see him, and recognized him for who he was.

She didn't realize she was slowly shuffling forward until she was standing less than a foot in front of him. As if in a trance, she raised her hand and gently touched his cheek. It was freezing cold, but it was solid.

"Jack?" she breathed.

"Emma," Jack said quietly, drinking in his sister as much as she was drinking him in.

Emma swallowed tightly. "You're- you're dead," she stammered. "You're a- a ghost?"

"No, not a ghost," Jack said, smiling gently. "I'm just as alive as you are- well, mostly."

Emma took in a shuddering breath, her mouth set into a frown. "I don't understand," she finally said, her brown eyes clouded with confusion and disbelief.

"I'll explain back at the house," Jack said, glancing over his shoulder again. "I was just talking to Mom and Dad, and-"

"You saw them?" Emma asked, eyes widening.

"Yeah, I stopped by there first," Jack explained. "But we need to get back-"

"You're… not dead," Emma interrupted, still in shock.

"No, but we need to-"

"You're not dead!" Emma said, her eyes lighting up. It seemed to dawn on her just what that meant; despite having seen him drown, here her brother was, standing in front of her. "_You're not dead!_"

She leapt forward, throwing her arms around his neck. Jack stumbled back a bit, surprised, then hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. "No, I'm not," he said, his voice muffled by her hair. "I'm right here, Em."

Emma's shoulders shook slightly as tears started flowing from her eyes. Jack hugged her tightly, and tried not to send out any more chill than he already did. It didn't matter; Emma didn't seem to notice anyways.

"I knew you weren't gone," Emma whispered, burying her face in the fabric of his hoodie.

"Well, isn't this sweet," said a drawling voice behind them.

The two siblings spun around; Jack's eyes narrowed, while Emma just looked confused. Her arms were still wrapped around Jack's neck, and she tightened them protectively as she looked into the shadows that now covered the trail.

Pitch emerged from the shadows, his face set into a sardonic sneer. His arms crossed, he surveyed the scene. A Fearling next to him stomped its hooves impatiently, rearing its head.

"Pitch," Jack snarled. He reached up and gently detached Emma's arms. Tightening his grip on his staff, he stepped in front of his confused sister.

"Jack Frost," Pitch said, looking the boy over. "I will admit. I'm impressed you were able to catch on and travel back as fast as you did."

"You're too late," Jack said, widening his stance slightly to cover his sister more. "The rest of the Guardians are here, you can't-"

"Oh, is Santa Claus going to stop me?" Pitch asked sarcastically, circling Jack and Emma. "Or perhaps the _Easter Bunny_?"

"They stopped you last time," Jack pointed out, slowly moving to follow Pitch's movement.

Pitch snorted, waving his hand dismissively. "That was just a mistake on my part," he said airily. "I've fixed a few flaws in my Fearlings-" his mount let out a neigh as if in response. "-and if it wasn't for your little believer, you wouldn't have had a chance. How is Jamie, by the way?"

"He's fine," Jack said slowly, watching Pitch closely.

Pitch gave him a twisted smile. Looking over Jack's shoulder, his expression brightened. "Why, this must be your sister!" he said delightedly. "Oh, I've heard _so _much about you. She _is _a darling, Jack."

Straightening her shoulders, Emma called out, "Leave us alone!"

Pitch laughed, amused. "My, my, you're a brave little girl. Luckily, I know just how to deal with you."

Jack clenched his fists around his staff. "You won't touch her!" he shouted, swinging his staff at the Boogeyman. A jet of ice shot out, heading straight towards him.

Emma let out a disbelieving gasp as Pitch melted into the shadows. Jack tensed, looking around quickly.

"Temper, temper, Jack."

Spinning around, Jack faced Pitch, who had reappeared behind them. Jack shot another bout of ice at him, but he simply sidestepped, a flash of annoyance crossing his face.

"Has no one ever taught you to respect your elders, Frost?" he hissed at the winter spirit.

Jack laughed easily, making Emma worry for his sanity. They were getting _attacked, _for goodness' sake! Why was he laughing? And why could he shoot _ice _out of that staff of his?

"Respect _you?_" Jack asked, still chuckling. "Hey Pitch, you never told me you had a sense of humor!"

Pitch's eyes narrowed. Thrusting his wrist out, he sent a jet of nightmare sand at Jack. The smile was wiped off the boy's face as it wound around his hand, enclosing it in the dark sand.

Flicking his wrist, Pitch tightened the sand and twisted on it. Jack let out a hiss of pain as his arm was jerked. His staff clattered to the ground, and he sank to his knees, struggling to throw off the unwanted bracelet.

"Jack!" Emma cried, dropping to her knees beside her brother.

"Get… back," Jack hissed at her, yanking on the sand. "Back to the house. Go, get out of here!"

"No!" Emma replied stubbornly. Swallowing her fear, she grabbed the tendril of sand, tugging on it. When it started to latch onto her as well, she let out a small scream, jerking her hand back.

"Emma, go!" Jack shoved his sister's shoulders, sending her sprawling back and away from the fight.

"Jack Frost, back in the business of protecting his sister," Pitch taunted as Jack scrabbled for his staff. "Too bad it's a futile fight."

Jack felt his fingers close around his staff. He grinned, narrowing his eyes at Pitch. "Futile, huh?" He slammed his staff into the nightmare sand around his wrist, jerking his hand back as it released him. "We'll see."

Pitch took a few steps back, watching Jack closely. The young guardian crouched down, staff held at the ready. "You've been beaten, Pitch," he said, pointing his weapon at the Boogeyman's head.

Pitch suddenly smirked. "Oh, really? Turn around."

"Jack!" Emma screamed from behind him.

Gasping, Jack turned around. A Fearling was advancing on Emma, backing her up against a tree. Her face showed pure terror as it advanced, rearing at her.

"Leave her alone!" Jack yelled, jumping into the air and soaring over.

The Fearling kicked out at Emma, clipping her across the forehead. She slumped to the ground, the blow knocking her unconscious, as Jack lunged for the Fearling, yelling something incomprehensible.

Something hit him from behind. Another Fearling smacked his back with its hooves as hard as it could. The air was knocked from Jack's lungs as he was propelled forward, slamming against the tree. He dropped to the ground beside his sister, groaning.

Pitch laughed, the sound echoing around the forest. "You're powerful, Jack Frost," he said. "But you cannot resist me forever. And I will be back; that I can promise you. I would keep a close eye on your family, if I were you."

And he slipped back into the shadows, leaving the two siblings sprawled on the ground in the empty forest.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, I was stuck in the mountains for a week with no wifi. Oops…**

**I hope you all liked Jack's family, and I didn't mess up this story too bad. Thanks for the reviews last chapter, please leave one for this one! No flames, though, cause those are rather pointless.**

**Thanks for reading, I'll update soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The Guardians and the Overlands were extremely surprised when the door was thrown open by a burst of freezing cold air. All of them shivered, averting their eyes from the harsh wind that stung at their skin.

Jack stumbled in, carrying his unconscious sister in his arms. Her face was contorted with pain, and she was writhing in her sleep, whimpering softly.

"Emma!" Margaret cried, leaping to her feet. "Jack!"

Jack dropped to his knees. Staying up just long enough to gently lay his sister on the ground, he slumped back against the wall, laying his head back. He shut his eyes, breathing heavily and trying to ignore the pounding in his chest.

Baby Tooth darted over. Chattering nervously, she touched down on his shoulder, lightly tugging on a strand of his white hair to get his attention.

"'M fine, Baby Tooth," he muttered, wincing slightly.

"What happened?" Bunny asked, shutting the door to keep some of the warmth inside the cottage. Margaret kneeled beside her daughter, gently laying her head in her lap and stroking her brown hair.

"Pitch," Jack grunted, cracking his eyes open a little. "Attacked us. He had Fearlings…"

"What's wrong with Emma?" Margaret asked worriedly, looking over at her son as Emma struggled in her arms. "Will she be alright?"

Jack nodded slowly. "She's just having some nightmares," he said. "She'll be fine in a little bit."

Richard bent down next to his son, hesitantly touching his shoulder. "And you?" he asked with concern. "Will you be alright?"

Jack twitched his lips into a crooked smile. "I'm fine. Just a bit winded, is all."

Margaret reached over, putting her hand on Jack's forehead. With a gasp, she drew it back. "No you're not!" she cried. "You're practically frozen! Someone get him a blanket!"

Tooth fluttered over. Bending down, she placed her own hand on his forehead. "No, he's too warm," she said, frowning. "Maybe he should step outside."

Margaret stared at her. "Are you _mad_? He feels like an ice cube!"

"He feels like a slightly melted ice cube," Tooth corrected. "And that's not good."

"Are you hurt, Jack?" North asked, looking at the teen closely.

Jack shook his head, struggling to sit up straighter and flinching slightly as he hit his back against the wall. "No; look after Emma, she got the worst of it."

Bunny narrowed his eyes. Coming forward, he bent next to Jack. "You're hurt," he accused. "Turn around."

"I'm fine!" Jack said stubbornly.

Raising an eyebrow, Bunny reached over and pressed Jack's back lightly. With a cry of pain, Jack leapt to his feet, glaring at the Pooka.

"Not cool," he said through clenched teeth.

"Hoodie off," Tooth ordered, crossing her arms.

Rolling his eyes, Jack lifted the back of his jacket, turning around. Everyone gasped; his back was a dark red color and already purpling, forming a bruise. Tooth lightly touched it, and Jack hissed in pain.

"A Fearling," Jack answered the unasked question. "Got me when my back was turned."

"What's a Fearling?" Margaret asked, looking at her son's injury with wide eyes. "Who's Pitch? Why is my daughter having nightmares? In fact, why is my son still _alive, _and why is he colder than an icicle? What is going ON!?" She raised her voice, slightly hysterical with all the unanswered questions.

Jack looked surprised by his mother's outburst. "You didn't tell them anything?" he asked the guardians, taking the chance to drop his hoodie back down.

North shrugged. "You told us not to."

"Besides, I thought _you _wanted to explain," Tooth pointed out.

"And, may I repeat, that's a horrible idea, because he stinks at explaining things," Bunny added.

"I do _not _stink at explaining things!" Jack snapped, irritated at the rabbit.

"Yeah you do, Frostbite," Bunny said, crossing his arms and glaring.

"Listen here, Cottontail-" Jack snarled, gripping his staff.

"Oh, Snowflake's getting angry!" Bunny said, his lips twitching. He rarely managed to get under Jack's skin, and always enjoyed doing it when he did.

"I'll show you _snowflakes_!" Jack said, pointing his staff at Bunny.

"Jack, don't!" Tooth said, tugging on the boy's arm. "Please, we have enough to deal with! We don't need to fight amongst ourselves!"

Sandy suddenly shot out a shower of sand. Everyone turned to look at him, even Jack, who was still seething about Bunny.

"What is it?" North asked Sandy, but the guardian didn't respond. Instead, he looked up at the ceiling, frowning.

Then, a bright flash of light surrounded them. Margaret screamed, surprised by the sudden brightness, and Jack stumbled a bit, staring around with wide eyes.

Suddenly, the light receded. They were no longer in the cottage; instead, they found themselves in North's workshop. One look around told them they were back in the future. Father Time had apparently decided it was time to return from their little trip to the past. Sighing with relief, Baby Tooth fluttered over to North's desk and dropped down, leaning back on the wood.

Richard spoke up. "Um… where are we?"

Pressing a hand to his forehead, Jack found one of North's chairs and sat down. It was always stiflingly warm in North's office, what with the massive fire burning 24/7. Jack shot a longing look at the window; outside was the snowy tundra of the North Pole. Surely a small trip outdoors would perk him back up again.

North let out a booming laugh. "We are in North Pole!" he said happily. "Welcome to my workshop, 2012!"

Margaret gasped. "2012?" she asked. "We're in the future?"

"I think it's time we explain," Tooth said, stepping forward. Glancing over at Jack, she frowned. "Jack, do you need a moment?"

Taking a deep breath, Jack shook his head. The room was getting steadily warmer, but there was no time to step outside. "No, I'm fine," he said, sitting up straight. "I can explain…"

Clearing his throat, he started his tale. He described how he had died to save Emma, and how the Man in the Moon had chosen him to become immortal. The two parents listened to the story in horror; Jack talked so bluntly about his three hundred years of solitude and loneliness. The guardians exchanged sad, guilty expressions. They hadn't _meant _to leave the boy alone; they just… didn't know he needed help.

When he closed the story at the reason they had come back to rescue the Overlands, there was a shocked silence. Then, Bunny said, "Decent explanation, Frostbite."

"Thanks, Kangaroo," Jack said, smirking at him.

Margaret let out a soft cry. North had transferred Emma, who was still unconscious, to the leather couch, leaving Margaret free to run forward and tackle her son in a hug. She didn't even notice when he winced as she squeezed, hurting his back.

"Oh, Jack," she sobbed, tears falling from her eyes. "Three hundred years! And you forgot you had a family! Jackson, oh, Jack…"

"Um… Mom," Jack said, the unfamiliar word feeling weird on his tongue, "it's alright, really. I've got the guardians now, I'm fine."

"Three hundred years!" is all his mother wailed.

Richard stepped forward, laying a hand on his wife's shoulder and pulling her back. "Margaret, he's injured," he said softly.

Margaret's eyes widened in realization, and she jumped back. "Oh!" she said. "I'm so sorry, Jack, I forgot!"

"It's fine," Jack said quickly.

Eyes watering, Margaret laid a hand on her son's cheek. She smiled, happy despite her tears. "You're Jack Frost," she said softly.

"The spirit of winter," Richard added, looking at his son in awe.

"Oh, no wonder you're so cold," Margaret said, lightly brushing his hair. "And your eyes…"

"Yeah…" Jack said awkwardly. Both of his parents were looking at him with something he had never experienced before… pride. And he wasn't used to it. While there was a part of him that felt warm and fuzzy with his parent's pride, the other part of him recoiled from the foreign feeling, wanting to stay well away from the emotions that created such a stir in him.

"I'm just so happy to have you back," Margaret said, letting out a small laugh of joy. "And I'm so, so proud of you."

She tried to wrap Jack in another hug, but he stepped away. His head spun sickeningly, his back ached, and he was sure everyone in the room could hear the pounding of his heart. Clutching his staff close to his chest, he swallowed thickly, blinking slowly.

"Jack?" Margaret asked cautiously, frowning. "Are… are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Jack murmured, even as his legs gave out beneath him.

Richard lunged forward and caught his son in strong arms. For a moment, he was shocked at how light the boy was, but shook it off; even when he had been living, Jack had been very slim.

"Oh, dear," Tooth said worriedly. "I knew he wasn't feeling well…"

"Judging by the look of that bruise, I say he cracked a coupla ribs," Bunny noted.

Jack shook his head, blinking the dizziness from his eyes. "I'm alright," he said, teetering slightly as he stood. Richard stayed close, keeping his arms nearby in case Jack fell again. "Just got a bit too warm."

"You should rest," Tooth said, shooting a meaningful look at Sandy. "Get some sleep."

"No, really," Jack said, his cheeks flushing a very pale pink. "I'm fine…"

Sandy came up behind him silently and tossed a sprinkle of golden dream sand over him. Jack keeled over with no protest, falling gently into his father's waiting arms. Head lolling back, he let out a soft snore as glittering snowflakes danced over his head. His face smoothed out, his breath relaxing into the soft, even patterns of sleep.

Bunny snorted. "Nice shot, Sandy. Maybe now he'll shut up."

"Come," North said, opening the door. "I will show you Jack's room. Emma may use the one across from it for the time being. In the meantime, I will have a few words with Father Time."

* * *

Emma sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide. Sweat poured down her face, and the warm sheets clung to her skin. It was dark in her room, much darker than usual, but she ignored it for now. Her nightmare still lingered in her mind- that horrible nightmare she had all the time.

She had, once again, witnessed the scene of her brother's death. The terrified look on his face as the ice broke beneath him, the shout he had given as he crashed into the freezing cold water. Emma had screamed and screamed for him to come up, but had watched, unable to do anything, as his flailing body slowly stopped moving, sinking to the bottom of the frozen lake. She had run then, yelling for her parents to come and save him, but it was too late. Jack was gone, and it was all her fault.

Emma pressed a hand to her forehead, slowing her breathing. This time, her nightmare had been mixed with an even more unusual dream. Jack had reappeared, but as some sort of ghost thing with white hair and crystal blue eyes. He had fought off a man made of shadows and a horse made of glittering black sand. In the dream, Jack had come back from the dead to protect her- absurd. Emma let out a small laugh, surprised that her imagination had thought up something like that.

It had been so _real_, though, as if Jack was really there. _He's dead, _Emma thought sharply. _And no amount of dreaming is going to change that._

Emma laid back against the thick pillows, sighing. Her bed was very comfortable… _very _comfortable. In fact, it was a bit _too _comfortable, more so than usual…

Emma sat up again in bed, her breathing coming out in sharp gasps. Only one thought registered in her mind: _This isn't my bed._

With that happy thought, she sprang out from under the covers, hopping onto the cold wood floor. Scrabbling around on the wall, her fingers found a set of curtains, and she ripped them open. Light flooded the room, revealing a small, blue-colored bedroom. Outside, everything was piles and piles of snow. Emma had no idea where she was.

She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She ran through everything she knew, trying to evaluate the situation. She was in a strange room, sleeping in a strange bed, and she had no idea where she was. Her parents were nowhere to be seen, and it looked like Antarctica outside. This wasn't good. This was _so _not good.

Emma crept over to the door on the opposite side of the room. Gently laying her hand on the doorknob, she twisted. To her surprise, it gave way easily beneath her touch. She wasn't locked in; that was a good sign, right?

The door opened up into a small hall outside. It curved over to a set of stairs leading down, but Emma was slightly afraid to go down those at the moment. The hall held only two other doors; one next to her and one across from her.

Creeping across the hall, she pulled open the other door. It opened easily as well, and she slipped inside, shutting the door behind her.

She found herself in another bedroom. She shivered, noticing how the temperature had dropped drastically. A window stood wide open, the curtains fluttering slightly as freezing air swept inside. The sun was shining low in the sky, but it did little to heat the room, which felt as though it were made of ice.

A bed stood in one corner. A figure lay slumped against the pillow, free from any covers and spread at an awkward position. A pile of blue blankets lay at the foot of the bed, obviously kicked off while the person was sleeping. A head of white hair faced Emma, and a pale hand dangled from the bed.

Emma felt her heartbeat quicken. That hair… she knew that hair. She had seen it in a dream.

She held her breath when the figure stirred. Flipping over, he turned to face her, still fast asleep. His eyes were shut, but Emma knew if they opened, they would be a shocking blue color.

Emma pressed her hands to her mouth, staring at her sleeping brother. Everything rushed back to her, untouched by the fuzziness of dreams. Her brother really _had _come to her yesterday, he was alive- and he was in this very room!

She felt a sense of safety rush into her as she looked at Jack. Even if she didn't know how he was possibly alive, she trusted him with her life, just as she always had. And if he was in this strange place, then it must be safe.

She tiptoed over to him, eyes wide in amazement. He looked exactly the same as he had before he had died, and yet he was completely different. His white hair was shaggy and hung across his closed eyes, and his skin was so very pale. In sleep, he looked extremely calm and peaceful, with his lips curved into the smallest of a smile, and Emma loathed waking him. But she had to at least touch him, and make sure this wasn't just some hallucination.

Hand shaking, she reached out and gently brushed her fingers against her cheek. When they hit solid flesh, a victorious smile spread across her face. It _wasn't _a dream! It had been far too real for anything but reality. But the question still stood: why was he here?

As she was musing over her thoughts, she didn't notice one of Jack's eyes crack open. When she glanced back down at the boy, she jumped when she found him staring at her with that icy stare.

"Emma?" he asked sleepily, still half asleep.

Gulping, Emma whispered back, "Yes, Jack?"

Shutting his eyes again, Jack gave her a tired smile. "You're alright," he murmured, yawning.

Emma nodded, grinning broadly. "So are you," she said excitedly. After a moment of exhilaration, her smile died. "Jack, I don't understand. I _saw _you die. How are you still alive?"

Jack took a deep breath before rolling over on the bed. "Sit down," he said, patting the empty space next to him on the cream-colored sheets.

Emma rubbed her arms slightly, feeling the chill starting to get to her, and was grateful to crawl up onto the bed. Although she knew she was far too old to be doing this, she couldn't help but curl up against her brother's chest, laying her head on the fabric of his blue hoodie.

A memory flashed through Jack's mind: him and his younger sister lying in this exact position after she had suffered from a nightmare when he had been living. Feeling a smile spreading across his face, he looked down at her. She was shivering slightly, but pressed herself as close as she could to Jack.

"You cold?" he asked her.

Emma brought her head up to meet his eyes. "N-no," she said through chattering teeth.

Rolling his eyes, Jack flicked his wrist. A breeze lifted the blankets at the bottom of the bed, depositing them on top of the two children. Emma watched in wonder as they seemingly floated into the air and drifted down to cover the two siblings.

Turning back to Jack, who was completely unfazed by the work of magic, she narrowed her eyes slightly. "You did that," she accused.

Jack looked calmly back at her. "I did."

"Just like you shot ice out of that staff of yours when we were getting attacked," she went on. "And you snuck up so easily on me in the forest, like you were flying or something. Jack… what happened to you?"

Jack sighed, leaning back against the cool pillows. "The Moon happened," he said vaguely.

Emma stared at him. "Well, thank you, Jack, for telling me absolutely nothing."

Jack chuckled, eyes twinkling. "Alright, you want more, I get it. Do you remember the day I died?"

Emma shivered, but it was not from the cold. Her nightmares flooded back to her: Jack, trapped under the ice and succumbing to death's cold grip, and she, unable to do anything.

"Yes," she said in a low voice.

Jack looked at her out of the corner of his eye, but went on with his story. "I came out of that ice a couple of hours later," he said. "I had absolutely no memory of anything, and I looked like this. You want to know why?"

Emma nodded eagerly, eyes wide. While she and her family had been grieving, Jack had… come out of the ice? That was the last thing she ever would have thought had happened.

"The Moon chose me," Jack said, nodding. "He chose to keep me alive and preserve me as an immortal spirit. I didn't know why, of course; he never told me." Jack shot an irritated look out the window as if to glare at the moon. "That irritated me for a couple hundred years."

Emma gasped. "A couple _hundred?_"

"Yup," Jack said, nodding. "For three hundred years, I was alone."

"But… couldn't you just, you know… talk to people?" Emma asked falteringly, confused as to why he was alone.

Jack's face darkened almost unnoticeably. "That's another catch of being immortal," he said. "People have to _believe _in you to be seen. The Moon made me Jack Frost, the spirit of winter. But no one believed in me. So therefore, no one could see me."

"You mean you spent three hundred years completely invisible?" Emma asked in horror. She couldn't imagine someone as fun-loving as her brother being alone for that long. "How did you _do _it?"

Jack brightened up a bit. "Er… I wasn't the most well-_behaved _spirit," he said sheepishly. "No one talked to me, so I spent the time trying to get their attention. It never worked, of course, but it was pretty fun."

"Jack Frost…" Emma muttered thoughtfully. "I've heard that saying going around. 'Jack Frost nipping at your nose'. People use it to explain winter, but I never thought…" she looked over at Jack guiltily.

Jack just grinned at her. "I have songs written about me," he said proudly, "but no one really believes in Jack Frost. It took a bit of pushing to get Mom and Dad to see me. Which reminds me… why could you see me?"

His look turned thoughtful. Emma thought back; she hadn't believed in Jack _Frost, _per say, but she had always believed her brother would come back.

"I think it's because I never fully accepted your death," she said quietly. "I believed you were still out there. So I saw you, and not Jack Frost."

Jack looked at her, smiling. "Oh, my memories never told me you were _smart_!" he said happily.

Emma laughed and elbowed her brother's shoulder lightly. "Oh, just finish up your story."

"Alright," Jack said, wiggling his toes. "Well…"

He went on, describing their fight with Pitch three months ago. Emma raised her eyebrows when he mentioned the other guardians, but stayed silent throughout the entire story. Jack left a few details out, of course, stuff he had kept secret even from the other Guardians. When Pitch broke his staff, for example… that was a moment of weakness he didn't want anyone to know about.

"So, here we are," Jack finished up after describing their trip back in time.

Emma was quiet for a moment, digesting everything she had just heard. "You were always a Guardian," she said quietly. "Ever since you saved me… and the Guardian of Fun, go figure," she said with a snort. She turned her gaze to Jack. "So the Boogeyman is out to get me?"

Jack winced softly. "Sorry, kiddo."

Emma shook her head. "Are you kidding? If anything, I'm grateful. I get you back, don't I?"

They exchanged smiles that conveyed everything they needed to tell each other. Emma felt so relaxed here, now that everything had been explained. She had her brother back, and that was all that mattered.

"So, can the big bad Guardian tell me about the Tooth Fairy?" Emma asked, brightening. "And the Easter Bunny? And the Sandman? And Santa Claus? And-"

"Hold up there, Em," Jack said, interrupting her. "Why don't we just meet them?"

Emma's eyes widened. "Can we really?"

"'Course!" Jack said, tossing the covers off of them. "I don't know why you'd _want _to meet Bunny though, he's the most annoying person I've ever met."

"The Easter Bunny?" Emma asked doubtfully, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

Jack laughed, launching himself off the bed. He snatched up his staff, which was lying on a nearby shelf, and hovered a foot off the ground. "You'll see," he said, flexing his fingers to get the last of sleep out of him.

Emma watched him hover with wide eyes. Even though she knew he had powers like that, it was another thing to actually see them in action.

Jack dropped to the ground, not noticing his sister's amazement, and tossed open the door. "Welcome," he said, grinning back at her, "to Santa's Workshop."

* * *

It took them at least twenty minutes to reach North's office. Emma was amazed by the workshop, and especially the yetis. She had talked with Phil for ten minutes before Jack had finally tugged her away. She found the elves fascinating and funny, and helped them fix a toy they were attempting to build. That got her hordes of instant best friends; they followed her around with plates of cookies and light bulbs, waving them around to get her attention and tripping Jack up as they crowded around you.

"Alright, back off before I freeze you all!" Jack called, waving his staff. They had made it to North's office at last, but were still being pestered by the elves.

Emma laughed. "Don't be mean, Jack, they're cute!" she said, leaning down to pet one on the head.

"Yeah, for now," Jack muttered, pushing the door open. "Give them a few days and you'll want to pitch them all off an iceberg."

They slipped inside, shutting the door swiftly before the elves could flock in. Sighing in relief, Jack turned around to see his parents and the Guardians sitting around the fire, talking. When the door opened, they looked up.

"Emma! Jack!" Margaret said, smiling in relief at her two children. "You're awake!"

Tooth looked up from where she was speaking to Baby Tooth. "Oh, thank heavens," she said, grinning over at them. "You've both been unconscious for a few hours."

"It was only a few hours," Jack said with a shrug, nonchalantly swinging his staff. "That's not that long."

Emma was gawking at the supernatural beings sitting in front of her, and the casual way in which her brother spoke with them. Tooth noticed the girl and smiled kindly at her.

"You must be Jack's sister Emma!" she said, fluttering over. "My name is Tooth."

"You're the- the Tooth Fairy!" Emma said, eyes wide.

Tooth giggled. "Yeah, I am. And that's Bunny, Sandy, and North."

Sandy waved animatedly and North smiled, but Bunny just huffed, leaning back in his seat. "I gotta check on the Warren," he muttered. "All those eggs, unattended for the past few days…"

"They're fine, Bunny," Tooth said, rolling her eyes as she joined them back on the couch. The flickering flames cast a strange light over everyone's faces. Baby Tooth looked up and, catching sight of Jack, darted over, chattering excitedly. She flew up against Jack's cheek, poking it as she talked, eyes sparkling.

Jack laughed, gently tugging away from her pokes. "I'm fine, Baby Tooth. Calm down."

Emma squinted at Baby Tooth. "Is that a fairy?" she asked curiously, blinking at it.

"One of the tooth fairies," Jack said, extending his hand towards his sister. Baby Tooth landed on his fingers, staring at Emma curiously. "This is my sister, Emma. Emma, this is Baby Tooth."

"She's beautiful," Emma said in an awe-filled voice.

"She knows it," Jack said with a chuckle. Baby Tooth looked over to glare at him before fluttering over to settle on his shoulder.

"Come," North called over to the siblings, "we were just discussing matters of Pitch."

Jack's face turned serious at the words. Emma walked over and plopped down near the flames next to her father, grateful for the heat after Jack's chill, but Jack approached more slowly, trying to stay as far away as possible. Even so, the heat licked at his face, making him uncomfortable and fidgety. But for the sake of discussion, he sat down, drawing in his feet close to him in an attempt to keep them cold.

"So what's up?" he asked, glancing around the circle.

"Father Time stopped by while you were sleeping," Tooth chirped across from Jack. "He brought us back here as soon as Pitch began to launch his attack on the house. He has also reported that Pitch has forced his way back to our time, and escaped his castle unharmed."

"So he's around here," Jack noted thoughtfully. "Awesome. I'll just go find him and-"

"Oh, no ya don't, Snowflake," Bunny interrupted. "Remember the last time you tried to go one on one with Pitch?"

"I handled it just fine!" Jack snapped.

"_No one _is going after Pitch alone," North put in. "We do this as a team, yes?"

"Of course!" Tooth said confidently. "And now that we're back at the Pole, we can protect Jack's family at the same time, so we'll be fine. We took Pitch once, we can take him again."

"He has his Fearlings back," Jack said, shifting uncomfortably in the heat from the fire. "He must have gotten them back under control in the last three months."

"He won't stop until he's defeated us," Bunny said, examining his boomerangs casually and ignoring the worried looks the Overlands were exchanging.

"Wrong," Jack said, sitting up a bit. "He won't stop until he's defeated _me._ The rest of you are just an added bonus."

He felt his face grow even warmer with the new revelation. Finally, he couldn't take it. Everyone let out a small shiver as a burst of cold air flew into the room, lifting Jack up and over the back of the couch. Freed from the fire's warm clutches, he stepped away until he stood on the edge of the room.

"Jack?" Emma asked, frowning at him. "Are you alright?"

"Just a bit warm," Jack assured her, leaning on his staff.

"What do we do now?" Richard asked, looking around at the Guardians.

"That's easy," Jack spoke up, drawing attention to himself. He was wearing a mischievous grin, his eyes glinting.

"We're going to take down Pitch Black for the second time in three months."

* * *

**A/N: I like Emma. She'd be a good little sister to have.**

**Thanks for the reviews, they mean a lot! Please tell me what you think of this chapter!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


End file.
